A GUARLFORD resident says action must be taken to prevent a tragedy outside his home, following a series of accidents.

Toby Bruce-Morgan, Mal-vern Hills district councillor for the Hanleys, said in the last two months there had been three crashes within 50 yards of his house.

So far no-one has been hurt but the frequency of accidents, at bends near the village entrance on the B4211 from Malvern, has left Mr Bruce-Morgan alarmed.

All of the smashes took place after dark. In the latest incident a car coming into Guarlford from the direction of Barnards Green crashed into the village sign, which had to be replaced last week.

In November the telegraph pole connecting Mr Bruce-Morgan's telephone was split in half after a car coming from the Severn direction crashed into it. It left him without a phone for 15 days and when the pole was replaced, the new one was crashed into within a month.

Mr Bruce-Morgan said the problem goes back as far as September 1999, when a car came through the hedge and landed in the field in front of his house.

"It's a dangerous road but we've never had a spate of accidents like we've had recently," he said.

A 30 mile an hour speed limit was imposed for the village in April 2000 but he said that drivers were completely ignoring it.

"The 30 mile per hour speed limit had an effect for a few months but has no effect whatsoever now," he said.

He added he also felt the situation would improve if more chevrons highlighting the bend were painted on the road, as at present only one such sign exists.

John Wallace of Worcestershire Highways Partnership said: "We will do all we can to improve the signage at this location."